Neighbors rise against smart grid tower in Tatnuck square area

WORCESTER — A group has formed to try to put the brakes on National Grid's plans to erect a specialized communications tower for its "smart grid" program in the Tatnuck Square area.

The group, spearheaded by local activist Steve Quist, was formed this week after National Grid petitioned the Zoning Board of Appeals for a special permit and variance to construct a 90-foot-high, ground-mounted monopole at its electric substation at 597 Mill St.

The tower would have three WiMAX and two microwave antennas attached to the pole, which would serve as a transmission structure for National Grid's Smart Energy Solutions program, also referred to as its "smart grid" program.

Mr. Quist, a June Street resident, said he formed the group and launched a Facebook page (Stop NG Smart Grid) in response to concerns raised by several residents and business owners in the Tatnuck Square area since the electric company's proposal came to light.

He said opponents of the Smart Grid program from outside the area have also joined the local group. Mr. Quist said people have expressed concerns about potential health issues related to the effects of radio and electromagnetic frequencies, and potentially harmful radiation from the communications infrastructure at the substations.

National Grid officials, however, have said the communications technology it will use for the smart grid has been proven safe worldwide. They have said the small amount of radio frequency energy produced by smart meters and towers is not harmful to human health.

Mr. Quist said people are also outraged over the fact that National Grid wants to put a 90-foot-high tower in the heart of Tatnuck Square.

"It's been quite the eye-opener," Mr. Quist said Friday. "People in Tatnuck Square are really up in arms over this. We need to put an end to this dumb idea. Between the potential health risks and having a 90-foot tower next to a strip mall and a McDonald's, this is something that just can't go forward. This is going to be like the fluoride debate several years ago."

He said members of the group will fan out Saturday to make more Tatnuck Square area residents and business owners aware of National Grid's proposal.

"(The group) is in the infancy stage but we expect it to grow and pick up momentum as more people become aware of this," Mr. Quist said. "National Grid should be investing in upgrading the infrastructure it already has in this city rather than in a smart grid program."

Mauro DePasquale, a city resident, said the installation of the communication towers to support the smart grid program should not be allowed anywhere in the city unless evidence is provided by an unbiased third party showing that the smart meters and towers have been thoroughly tested and are free of any toxic impact on people and the environment.

"The public at large should have an opportunity to review and either deny or approve such submissions, and have ample time to discuss these in an open forum with the time to speak beyond the parameters of three-minute margins offered at public hearings," he wrote in a letter to members of the City Council and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Mr. DePasquale, executive director of Worcester's local community access cable channel (WCCA-TV, Channel 13), said his station would be willing to provide a forum for such a discussion if desired by the community.

The site where National Grid wants to erect the pole is next to a shopping center at Mill and Chandler streets. It is also near the Worcester Housing Authority's Mill Pond Apartments at 600 Mill St., a McDonald's restaurant and an apartment complex off Brookside Avenue behind the shopping center.

National Grid originally proposed putting the communications tower at its Cooks Pond electric substation at 30 Tory Fort Lane in the Tatnuck area, but it ran into strong opposition from neighborhood residents. The electric company has proposed the Tatnuck Square location as an alternative, though its petition before the zoning board for the Tory Fort Lane site remains active.

The zoning board has scheduled a public hearing for National Grid's latest petition for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 21 in the Levi Lincoln Chamber at City Hall.